Today marks the start of something awesome
A rebirth of sorts for something that wasnt that old to begin with.
The RobijuanArt blog.
The following interview has been in the works for sometime but is done and is now ready for the masses to lay their eyes upon it and get a glimpse into the mind of a man I consider a genius and an all around GREAT guy.
Hes been interviewed my a multitude of people for his talents and his skill as a musician Some of those people own radio shows, newspapers, magazines or even TV programs. So what makes this special for me (REAL TALK WARNING) is that I see this guy as a celebrity of sorts, people in my town and towns surrounding it know of or have at least heard of him and his music.
I was fortunate enough to go to High School with him and see how he steadily became a widely popular guy with everybody and everything around him and now I got an interview this him and can honestly say its been something Ive been waiting for and am very happy it is here now.
His name is Frank Waln, and this my friends, is THE interview, Part 1. Enjoy.
The man, the myth and soon to be legend
For those who dont know, who are you and what do you do?
Put very simply, I am but a man, named Frank Waln, and I make music.
For those who know, how long have you been making music?
Ever since I got a battery powered keyboard in the 3rd grade I been banging out lil melodies. Ever since I watched 8 Mile in 6th grade I have been rapping. Ever since I got drum machine with no manual when I was 15 I have been making beats. Ever since I got music recording programs my soph yr of high school I have been officially recording and making tracks.
What got you interested in Hip Hop?
2 things:
1. When I was in the fifth grade, I was walking the gravel roads of He Dog with my mother one summer and I seen something glimmering and shiny on the side of the road. I walk over to it and it was a CD, Eminem's Marshal Mathers LP. It looked scratched to shyt like it wouldn't play. I took it home put it in my CD player and was in love with Hip-Hop from that moment on.
2. When i first heard the song "One Mic" by Nas. That shyt gave me goosebumps it was so epic and heartfelt. I guess those two influences are why I try to make lyrical, heart-felt hip-hop.
Was there a single person or was it a group of people that got you wanting to make your own music?
I pretty much answered this question above. It was Eminem and Nas mostly, but Kany West showed me and underdog producer can become a great rapper with a lot of confidence, persistence, and hard work. Kanye may be a dick but NO ONE, not even Jay or Dame, took him seriously as a rapper until he dropped his album. I can relate to that because NO ONE ever took me seriously about rapping. It was always "Hey you got good beats" until the Scars and Bars dropped.
What is Nake Nula Waun?
Nake Nula Waun is first and foremost a Lakota phrase meaning "I am always ready, at all times, for anything" it was used to describe warriors before they went into battle. it is also a state of mind that Lakotas must have before they go on the hill to pray during Humbleceyapi because anything can happen when you on that hill. It's the closet we get to the spirit world without dying. So ultimately you could die while you are up there so you have to be ready for anything.
Who is in NNW?
Nake Nula Waun is a Hip-Hop group from the Rosebud Reservation consisting of myself, my cousin-in-law Dre, our brother in arms Thomas Schmidt AKA JS, and the songbird of our generation Kodi DeNoyer. I founded this group and it is my life's work so far.
'Damn dude, you see those gas prices?'
'I'm trying not to.'
When did you start taking music making seriously? or were you always this B.A?
I always did music on the side no matter what I had going on in life. It took me a long time to realize this is because I truly love music and it is what I was born to do. SO many things in my life have come and gone but music was the only constant. I decided to take music making seriously this summer when I decided to leave college and put everything into music. The moment I decided to put everything into it is when the awards, attention, and love came. it kind of verified to me that I finally chose the right path even though it isn't an easy path at all.
What inspired you early on?
Early on in my youth, i was inspired by the rappers i listened to. I wanted to sound as cool and fresh as they did. I only listened to HIp-Hop so my scope was limited. my freshmen year of college i hit sort of a musical awakening. I started listening and loving any and all kinds of music. I fell in love with artists like The Beatles, The Black Keys, Radiohead, etc. Real weird and out there type of music pulls me in. Soon I was inspired to not sound like anyone but to try to combine everything i love about music into the music i was making. I am still working on this.
What inspires you now?
NOW I am inspired by the musical masterpiece I hear in my head but can't ever really release to this world. I am still perfecting it but my ultimate is to make fresh, never before heard music that bends genres. Ultimately I just want to make music I would listen to if I wasn't the one making it. I also want to be the first to make it at least semi big time around here so I can show my people and the world that Natives and SD has something to say. Some of us can make good music.
What will always inspire you?
I believe I answered this above. The desire and need to make music I would listen to if I wasn't the one making it. AND I feel like i have this great music potential inside of me that i need to fulfill. I am always looking toward the next song or sound.
Is there really a music scene on the Rez?
HELL NO...there are no resources and there is no modern music culture of any kind. there is the pow wow scene and traditional music but that is where it ends. You do a show here and ppl stare at you like they are watching a movie. You do a show where there is a music scene, even a small one like Sioux Falls, and people get into it, react, and vibe with you. Performing is a two lane road. We throw our energy out to the crowd and it's best when the crowd throws their energy back at us. It meets in the middle and become something bigger than the both. Thats when you can really see the power of music.
Would you consider yourself the 'flag-bearer' of this possible said music scene?
I would hope so because I am trying to do it in the best and most unique way. But who knows. this business is crazy.
How did you feel when you found out were nominated for a NAMMY?
I was pumped up. I called everyone I knew that would give a shyt but sadly not a lot of ppl around here know how big the NAMMYS are or even WHAT the NAMMYS are. I felt like I was granted this great gift that only I knew the true value of. I never in a million yrs thought I would be nominated for a NAMMY this early. In the first song off our Summer '10 mixtape ("Introducing") I said "Producer of the Year" before I dropped into my verse. I was totally fukkin around and this was way before we even thought we would submit to the NAMMYS. Turns out I was Producer of the Year off that very mixtape
How did you feel winning it?
I felt like I was in a dream. They announced it liek 5 min before our performance so i was backstage with Dre. I was so nervous for everything then after I was announced the winner it was like there was a change of emotions from nervous to this attitude that I can do anything because I proved myself to my music peers. We performed hard as shyt after that and have never looked back since. It made all those years of making music that no one cared about but me worth it.
You never forget your first
You plan on winning a few more?
I hope we are lucky enough to. I submitted S&B to the 2011 NAMMYS in 8 categories. Best Group, Album of the Year, Best Hip-Hop Recording, BEst Single ("Heavy"), Best Pop ("Always On My Mind"), Best Producer (myself), Best Song Writers (Dre and myself), and Native Heart Award (Dre)...SO WE WILL SEE
Check back tomorrow for the second part of this interview. Thanks for reading.
